Home Pastors Articles for Pastors Why a Leader’s Work Must Be an Open Kitchen

Why a Leader’s Work Must Be an Open Kitchen

It takes a lot of trust for restaurants to let customers watch them make the food they serve.

Theoretically, it builds trust and perhaps even impresses us to see them display their ingredients and craft.

However, let me confess: There aren’t many places where it actually works: chop houses, wineries and fancier places. Other places with which we are more familiar—the Subways and Chipotles of the world—it’s a mixed bag.

Sometimes it’s fine. Everything goes off without a hitch.

Other times, I leave wishing they had made it in the kitchen—or even let me make it myself. The ingredients look weeks old, the help looks like they have a cold or the workers are irritable.

In such cases, watching how things are made hurts rather than helps.

Here’s a question those in ministry need to ask: If what happens on Sundays was planned and pulled off with the church watching … would we be proud to show them?

Or would we need to alter what and how we plan for the church’s sake? Would the church watch and, as ministry was being prepared, begin to anticipate what was coming … or would they see stale ingredients, irritable servants and spiritually distasteful preparation conditions?

How about our sermon preparation?

Would they see us making fresh bread, or handing out day-old donuts? Would they see us fervent in study or treating as though it’s an interruption to everything else we’d rather be doing? Would they see us serving Christ joyfully?

How about our elders meetings?

Would they see prayerfulness, compassion, courage and love for one another going into what came out of those gatherings? Or might they see contentiousness, abuse of power and legalism?

Every now and then, it might be good to let people watch you make some ministry.